Friday, April 26, 2013

I'm pretty sure this review isn't gonna fire up readers' imaginations the way a good bushcraft article or knife review will, but the reality is that a good pair of underwear really makes a difference in whether a long hike or backpacking trip is comfortable or not.

If
you wear the wrong briefs, your thighs can become chafed, or even
blistered. I'm sorry to say that I've had a few bad experiences in the
past that nearly ruined my trips. This led me on a search to find a good
pair of briefs that were comfortable, breathable and kept me
chafe-free. I got lucky last year when our sponsorLifeView Outdoorssuggested that I try a pair ofAYG Performance Sports Briefs. I took them up on their offer, and it turned out to be a really smart decision.

The SPECS:

Quick drying, wicking, breathable

4-way stretch for maximum agility

Anti-microbial

Athletic fit

Odor resistant

Fights bacteria

Comfortable flat seams

Weight- 4oz

Made in North Carolina, USA

Street Price- $19.95

To me, these briefs resemble those worn by runners and cyclists, and
they do in fact share a similar design. They are made of a blend of 92%
"Acclimate Dry Polyester" and 8% Spandex, and touted as "anti-microbial"
and "odor-resistant." The Acclimate Dry Polyester, originally developed
byPolarMax, also makes the claim "Feels like Cotton but wicks like polyester."

After
wearing these briefs on numerous hikes, backpacking trips, and field
testing excursions, I quickly became a believer, as they turned out to
be a major step up from conventional briefs, even those made of cotton.

These
AYG Performance Sports Briefs caused no chafing, are super comfortable,
breathable, and have plenty of support for longer trips to my favorite
bushcrafting spots. After many washings, they also held up well and seem
to be durably constructed.

Well-made and comfortable, these AYG Performance Briefs would be a great piece of gear to add to your backpacking/hiking arsenal. And they're made right here in the USA!

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Compact bushcraft axes have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, driven in part by a celebrity endorsement from famed UK bushcrafter/TV personality Ray Mears, and by strong word of mouth through various
internet forums and bloggers. This has helped compact bushcraft axes
become top sellers for major axe companies.

Why
have these axes become so popular? Simple -- portability and
versatility. A compact bushcraft axe is small enough to be used as a
one handed hatchet, yet large enough to swing as a two-handed axe for
more serious chopping and splitting tasks.

As popular as compact bushcraft axes are, not everyone is a fan. One of
their biggest critics is bushcrafting legend Mors Kochanski, who feels
that carrying an axe with anything less than a 23" to 25" handle and a 2
to 2.5 pound head is too light for serious bush work.

Also, in areviewof the Wetterlings Large Hunting Axe many years ago on the Old Jimbo website, they found it "to
be neither fish nor fowl. It is too heavy for a backpacking or carry
axe that you will always have with you and not versatile enough as an
all around using axe. It is somewhat clumsy as a two handed axe and does
not cut as well as either of the larger axes. I found it fatiguing to
use for any length of time."

In general, I agree with these sentiments, but I still think compact axes have certain advantages over larger axes.

Why Carry a Compact Bushcraft Axe?

Since many consumers have limited budgets and are forced to choose
between buying either an axe or a hatchet, but not both, a compact
bushcraft axe represents a good compromise, since it can function
reasonably well in both roles.

A compact bushcraft axe is also easier to handle than a larger axe, which means it will have a faster learning curve.

Finally,
a compact axe is generally the largest axe you can carry inside a
daypack, for instance. This is important if you want to carry an axe
discreetly in your pack as a wilderness survival tool, or build a
campfire on a day hike, without getting bogged down carrying a larger,
heavier axe.

What exactly defines a compact bushcraft axe? There have been many
discussions on axe forums, but the general consensus is that it is an
axe or a large hatchet with a 1.4 to 1.6 lb head and an overall length
of between 17" to 21".

We would like to say a special thanks
to Ben's Backwoods for providing the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe,
and to Gerber Gear for sending us the Gerber Camp Axe II used in this
article.

The Small Forest Axe, made by Gransfors Bruks in Sweden, is the compact
axe by which all others are judged. It was popularized in the UK by
bushcraft expert, author and TV personality Ray Mears in the 1990s and
early 2000s. When bushcraft gained popularity in the States during the
last decade, the Small Forest Axe became popular here as well.

Hand forged, and constructed using classic 19th Century American
axe-making techniques, the quality, finish, and durability of these axes
is now legendary. You can see a more detailed history of Gransfors
Bruks and their approach to axe-making by checking out our review of the
Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet here.

The Wetterlings Large Hunting Axe can most aptly be described as
the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe's practical, budget-minded,
cousin. Constructed using the same, traditional axe-making techniques as
the Small Forest Axe, the primary differences between the two are fit
and finish.

Gransfors Bruks' axes are constructed with greater attention to quality
control and more expensive features, such as higher grade,
beeswax-coated hickory handles, and more consistently forged heads. Wetterlings forgoes these subtleties and instead, focuses on creating
an axe that is rough around the edges, but high on function.

This slightly lower standard of fit and finish usually means that a
Wetterlings can be had for roughly $20 to $50 cheaper than an equivalent
Gransfors axe, yet, performs as well as its more expensive cousin. This
has led many to refer to Wetterlings as a "working man's Gransfors
axe."

This cost to performance ratio has created a rabid following for
Wetterlings, even in some cases rivaling the popularity of Gransfors
Bruks.

The Gerber Camp Axe II, or as I affectionately like to call it- the
"Star Wars Axe," is the ultra-compact, synthetic-handled wonder axe of
this group. I can seriously imagine Luke Skywalker climbing out of his
X-Wing Fighter with one of these in hand, ready to chop up kindling on
the Planet Dagobah to build a campfire. "Hey Yoda, campfire's ready!
Bring some of that outrageously bad-tasting bat soup over here so we can
heat it up!"

Don't let the synthetic handle fool you though. These "She blinded me with science!" axes are actually highly efficient choppers, splitters and fine
carvers. The mad scientists at Fiskars certainly knew what they were
doing when they designed these, as you'll see further down in the field
review section.

To judge the overall winner of these three competitors, I devised seven
simple, yet reliable, tests that I've used many times to test axes in
ourprevious reviews. These tests include: Chopping, Splitting, Limbing, Featherstick-making, Balance, Overall Comfort, and Quality.

TEST #1- CHOPPING
(30 chops per axe on two separate logs)

WINNER- Wetterlings Large Hunting Axe

SECOND PLACE- Tied between the Gerber Camp Axe II and the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe

All three of the axes chopped great for their size, but the Large
Hunting Axe ended up taking the prize. It consistently outchopped the
Camp Axe II and Small Forest Axe by about 10%.

The Camp Axe II and Small
Forest Axe were so closely matched that they finished in a draw.

SECOND PLACE- A draw between the Large Hunting Axe and Small Forest Axe

For the splitting test, I grabbed a few well seasoned Ponderosa Pine
logs that had been bucked with a saw. Each axe was tested by splitting
one of these logs into four quarters on top of a flat chopping block.

In spite of it's short handle, the Camp Axe II's wedge-shaped head
clearly dominated this test, and was effective enough that it even made
the log fly apart upon striking it! The Small Forest Axe and Large
Hunting Axe, though not as effective as the Camp Axe, were still
competent enough splitters to get the job done, albeit, with an extra
swing or two. Neither the Large Hunting Axe or the Small Forest Axe felt
like the better splitter, so they ended up in a draw.

Profile shot of the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe (left), next to the Wetterlings Large Hunting Axe (middle), and the Gerber Camp Axe II (right). The Gerber's wedge-shaped head gave it a clear advantage in this test.

TEST #3 - LIMBING A TREE

WINNER- Wetterlings Large Hunting Axe

SECOND PLACE- Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe

THIRD PLACE- Gerber Camp Axe II

A dead, blown-down Douglas Fir Tree was used as the "victim" for the
limbing test. The longer handles of the traditional Swedish axes had a
distinct reach advantage over the shorter Camp Axe and so came out on
top in this test. The Wetterlings just edged out the Gransfors Bruks due
to it's slightly better chopping ability, which pushed it into first
place.

TEST #4 - FEATHERSTICKS

WINNER- Wetterlings Large Hunting Axe

SECOND PLACE- Gerber Camp Axe II

THIRD PLACE- Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe

In my experience using/testing lots of axes, I've found that an
axe's ability to make a good featherstick is usually a good indicator of
its ability to do other fine work and shaping tasks.

Out of the three, the Wetterlings really shined in this test, being the
easiest to use to push-cut the wood into nice feathered curls. The Camp
Axe II turned in a solid second place performance, and was nearly as
easy to use, turning out a well-made featherstick.

The Small Forest Axe made the finest curls, but was the hardest to
featherstick with, since it made push-cutting more difficult than the
other two axes. This affected its ability to make larger feathers as
well. I found this surprising, since my experiences with the Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet and Scandinavian Forest Axe have been the
complete opposite.

Both the Small Forest Axe and Large Hunting Axe balanced perfectly in the hand, so they shared the winning spot.

The Camp Axe II, in comparison with the Large Hunting Axe and Small
Forest Axe, balanced poorly. Just after the photo below was snapped, the
heavy-headed/light handled Gerber nose-dived out of my hand towards the
ground. Had I not "Used the Force" and caught the handle in mid-flight,
the Camp Axe would have hit the snow with a big "ker-plunk!"

Gerber Camp Axe II

Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe

Wetterlings Large Hunting Axe

TEST #6 - OVERALL COMFORT

WINNER- Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe

SECOND PLACE- Wetterlings Large Hunting Axe

THIRD PLACE- Gerber Camp Axe II

In terms of overall comfort, the Small Forest Axe was the clear winner
in this test. In my opinion, Gransfors Bruks makes some of the best
production axe handles out there, rivaled only by Council Tool's
excellent Velvicut handles. The design of the Small Forest Axe handle
makes it feel very secure and comfortable in the hand.

The Wetterlings' handle, while also very comfortable, feels just a bit too thick by comparison.

The Gerber's handle, though comfortable, feels a bit cramped when using
it two-handed compared to its longer, wooden-handled rivals. However,
using it one-handed feels nearly as comfortable as using the Small
Forest Axe, since the overall shape of the handle makes for a
comfortable grip.

(Left to right: Wetterlings, Gransfors Bruks, Gerber)

TEST #7 - QUALITY

WINNER- Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe

SECOND PLACE- Wetterlings Large Hunting Axe

THIRD PLACE- Gerber Camp Axe II

As mentioned in theSmall Forest Axe'ssummary,
it is the compact axe by which all others are judged, and this is not
by accident. Gransfors Bruks simply makes the highest quality production
axes in the world. These axes have been field tested by thousands of
wilderness enthusiasts since the early 1990s. Without a doubt it is an
axe built so well that you can stake your life on it. True to Gransfors
Bruks' well deserved reputation, the Small Forest Axe used in the test
was of impeccable quality, making it the easy winner of this category.

TheWetterlings Large Hunting Axeused
in this test has been my personal bushcraft axe for several years. I'd
rate its overall quality at maybe 85% of the Gransfors. I did have an
issue with the edge rolling about a year into ownership, but after
re-sharpening, the issue didn't return, and the axe has been a faithful
companion since. The steel takes a very sharp edge, and holds the edge
nearly as well as the Gransfors Small Forest Axe. The sheath is of high
quality and made of heavy, reinforced leather. Sadly, in their latest
models Wetterlings replaced these heavy leather sheaths with newer
sheaths that use weaker button snaps. Wetterlings informed me that they are currently in the process of fixing this issue.

TheGerber Camp Axe II(which
is a Gerber-branded Fiskars X-Series Axe), is of excellent quality for such
an affordable axe. Yes, the balance of a traditional wood-handled axe
is lacking, but for the money, it's excellent at chopping, excels at
splitting, and rivals the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe in fine
carving. The steel, once sharpened, takes a scalpel-like edge and holds
it well.

One issue
that I've discovered with Fiskars axes is that they have to be sharpened
BEFORE using them, or the edge will roll and dent when chopping
initially. Why? Because there seems to be just a tiny bit of soft, extra
metal leftover from the drop forging process that causes this issue,
but once sharpened, the edges seem to hold up as well as my American,
German and Swedish axes.

Sheath comparison of the three axes (Left to right: Wetterlings, Gransfors Bruks, Gerber)

And the winner is.......

First Place- Wetterlings Large Hunting Axe

Winning or tying nearly every performance test, with excellent balance, and quality approaching the Gransfors Bruks, theWetterlingsLarge Hunting Axewas the easy choice in this "Battle of the Compact Bushcraft Axes" competition.

Yes,
the handle is a little on the thick side, the quality is a notch down
from a Gransfors Axe, and it doesn't split with the ferocity of the
Gerber Camp Axe II. But it's negatives were relatively minor in
comparison with it's awesome performance while performing various
bushcraft chores.

Second Place- Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe

Though it came in at second place, theGransfors Bruks Small Forest Axestill
comes out on top when it comes to quality and excellence in axe design.

In spite of its third place ranking in the Featherstick Test, it is
still a superb compact bushcraft axe by any measure, and one that gets
grabbed as often as my Wetterlings when I head off into the bush. What the Small Forest Axe gives up to the Wetterlings in
pure chopping and feathersticking performance, it makes up for with
all-day comfort, dead reliability, and probably the best overall
steel quality of any production axe.

A few minutes spent with a file and
sharpening stone would probably improve its push-cutting ability, making it a top choice for people who prefer the higher quality of a
Gransfors' axe over a Wetterlings.

Third Place- Gerber Camp Axe II

Unfortunately, "The Force" just couldn't save the hi-tek, Star Wars-esque Gerber Camp Axe II from
landing in the third spot. In spite of its excellent performance in the
chopping, splitting and featherstick categories, it was ultimately
hampered by poor balance, along with a shorter handle that's a bit
cramped when using it two-handed, compared to its longer-handled rivals.
Still, with a street price of roughly $40.00, it's hard to beat,
especially considering its overall performance in the test.

CONCLUSION

The truth is, all three of these axes will perform well in the role of a
compact bushcraft axe. Purists will, of course, prefer the balance and
feel of a fine hickory axe handle over Gerber's synthetic handle. But
bushcrafters on a budget, who can't afford the steep entry price of a
Swedish axe, can still add the highly capable Camp Axe II to their
bushcraft arsenal without breaking the bank. The choice, of course, will
ultimately come down to your budget and personal preference.

Was this article helpful? If so, please stop by our Facebook page and follow us

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft, a blog that features articles, news stories, outdoor tips and product reviews written from a bushcraft and wilderness survival perspective. Schwartz is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America. He has also written for theThe New PioneerandBackpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

Saturday, April 13, 2013

This is a test video I did with a pair of Pivothead Video Sunglasseswhile I was out chopping with a Bushman Axe. Unfortunately, the glasses didn't point down far enough to see all the chopping action, but it was a fun experiment nonetheless. I'm a complete amateur when it comes to video, so please go easy on me- I'm definitely not going to win an Academy Award for this one!

In the video, I'm retesting the Les Stroud Bushman Axe after rolling its edge in the initial field review, and wanted to see how well the edge would hold up after re-sharpening it. I performed several chopping tests since this video was taken, and the edge seems to have held up well. I will post this update to the Bushman Axe review later this week.

Friday, April 12, 2013

While I was covering the Winter Outdoor Retailer Show back in January, I
stopped by the Coghlan's exhibit to take look at their new line of 2013
products. I was checking out the exhibit when a Coghlan's rep grabbed
me and directed my attention towards two new interesting sets of camp
cookware that they were releasing this year -- packable Hard Anodized Aluminum and Carbon Steel Camp Cooksets.

Both cooksets are designed to nest together into very compact packages, and
feature handy, steel swing-out handles, as well as lids with strainer
holes on one side - convenient for making Pasta, etc.

Hard Anodized Aluminum Cookset

The entire Hard Anodized Aluminum Cookset weighs in at just 41.2 ounces
(2.58 lbs). The complete set nests together and fits inside the nylon
carry bag shown in the photo below. Each set also comes with its own pot
scrubber and measuring cup.

All the cookware nested together:

The individual pots and frying pan are also light enough to pack for day
hikes and backpacking trips. Here's a breakdown of the individual sizes
and weights:

The smallest 1 quart pot (with lid) comes in at a very packable 7.4
ounces, and the 1.2 quart frying pan at 8.8 ounces. This slim weight
range gives the cookset enough flexibility to be used around camp or on
the trail.

Carbon Steel Family Cookset

Coglan's Carbon Steel Family Cookset is essentially a larger, heavier
carbon steel version of the Hard Anodized Aluminum Cookset. Built to
withstand the rigors of heavy camp use, it features non-stick surfaces, lids with convenient strainer holes, a pot scrubber, measuring cup, and
swing-out steel handles.

The Carbon Steel set is also sized differently, with the largest pot holding a hefty 4.2 quarts. Here is the breakdown:

Just like its lightweight aluminum counterpart, the carbon steel set nests together to fit neatly inside a nylon carrying case.

The cookset nested together:

Field Testing

I wasn't able to test both cooksets in time for this review, but I
did take the large 2.8 quart pot from the Hard Anodized Aluminum
Cookset on a recent field trip, and used it to cook up some Ramen
noodles. The pot heated evenly, strained well, and the surfaces were
non-sticking.

Even without extensive field testing, my impression is that these pots
are sturdy and well built. Of course, it will take a few months out in
the field to see how well they'll hold up, so as summer approaches and I
get to use them more, I'll post an update.

Both the Aluminum and Carbon Steel cooksets offer a surprising level of
fit and finish, and the swing-out handles are both convenient and easy
to use. Since the handles are permanently attached with heavy rivets,
they can't be lost or misplaced, as is the case with camp pots that have
removable handles.

The ability to pack down into such a compact size is a great
space-saver, and especially important for people headed off on camping
trips with tightly packed vehicles.

One major advantage of the Hard Anodized Aluminum Cookset is that it is
light enough to take individual components on hiking and backpacking
trips, yet large enough to use as a set around camp, which makes it a
flexible option for people who want a cookware set that's a "Jack of all
Trades."

The Carbon Steel Family Cookset, due to its heavier weight, is pretty
much relegated to camp-only chores, but its larger size and sturdier
construction make it a better choice for heavier use and cooking larger
meals.

One important thing to note is that these cooksets are primarily
designed for use on camping and backpacking stoves, so even though they
are metal and can be used on an open campfire if needed, they are not
the best option for this role. Pots with handles that allow them to hang
over a fire, like Open Country Cookware sells, are better suited if
open campfire cooking is your primary goal.

If you cook mainly over liquid fuel or pressurized gas stoves, wood-gas
stoves, or over wood fires contained in metal stoves like the Firebox,
then the Coghlan's design should work quite well (check out
SectionHiker's review showing the pots being used over a wood fire in an
open metal stove).

Conclusion

The street price on these sets should be in the $60 to $80 range, and
they are available through online retailers at the time of this posting.
Traditional brick and mortar outdoor retailers should also have them in
stock by summer.

Though a bit pricey for a Coghlan's product, the Hard Anodized Aluminum
and Carbon Steel Cooksets are competitively priced when compared to
similar offerings from other manufacturers. Both sets are well designed,
compact, flexible, and sturdy. The Hard Anodized Aluminum Cookset, in
particular, is highly recommended if you want cookware that's great for
camping trips, yet light enough to be used on backpacking excursions.

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

I decided to bring my latest addition (or should I say "addiction" ?) with me on a recent photo shoot/gear test outing - aRay Mears Wilderness Axe,
made by Gransfors Bruks in Sweden. I've been dying to try one of these
since they came out a couple of years ago. So right before I left to
cover SHOT Show back in January, I placed my order for one at the
Woodlore website.

Photo credit: raymears.com

The
axe took a few weeks to get here from the UK, but thankfully made it
safe and sound. Unfortunately, I was so busy after I got back from
covering SHOT Show, that I had to let it sit and collect dust for a few
months until I could break away from other commitments to give it a try.

I've
been dying to try it out and I just couldn't take it anymore! So
yesterday, while I was testing some other gear, I grabbed the Wilderness
Axe and took it along so I could finally do some chopping with it.

I
was able to find both a dead Douglas Fir and a dead Ponderosa Pine
while I was meandering through the forest, so I gave the axe a whirl.

On the Douglas Fir, the Wilderness Axe chopped a nice, clean v-notch with relative ease:

I then bucked a dead Ponderosa Pine tree in half with it. The Wilderness Axe chopped through it like a breeze:

The Wilderness Axe has a much heavier head than the Gransfors Bruks
Scandinavian Forest, so this really improves chopping performance over
the Scandi Axe. Definitely a good first impression, and I
was finally able to get myWilderness Axechopping "fix" filled!

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

Even though the original Ultimate Knife was praised for its comfortable handle, adept wood carving ability, and handy survival features, it was frequently criticized for having overly soft steel (which required constant sharpening in the field), an anemic whistle, a hard to use diamond sharpener, and a lack of visible full tang construction. You can read more about the pros and cons of the original Ultimate Knife in our full review of it here.

To Gerber's credit, they were paying attention to these criticisms, and decided to team up with Bear Grylls once again in order to create a new "Pro" version of the Ultimate Knife that incorporated these improvements.

The Knife

The new Pro Ultimate Knife features 9Cr19MoV Stainless steel (similar in
composition to American 440C Stainless), visible full-tang construction,
a stronger survival whistle, an easier to use Carbide sharpener, and a
new black and orange color scheme. This new color scheme is quite
attractive and makes the knife easy to see when it is lying on the
ground:

(click to enlarge)

The Pro Knife weighs 9.6 ounces without the sheath, and 14.1 ounces with
the sheath. By comparison, the original Ultimate Knife weighs 8.5
ounces without the sheath, and 13.8 ounces with the sheath. So while the
Pro Knife is heavier due to its full tang, its sheath is lighter by 0.7
ounces, keeping the overall weight of the two to within 0.3 ounces.

The Pro Knife's new exposed full-tang and beefier hammer pommel (right) shown next to the original Ultimate Knife (left):

A small change is the size of the ribbing on the rubberized handle. The
Pro Knife has larger ribbing than the original Ultimate Knife.

Another change is the addition of a finger choil:

Finger choils tend to generate controversy, since some people love them, and others consider them a waste of blade space.

On the negative side, they can leave less of an edge for cutting and
batoning. On the positive side, they can be an asset when needing to
choke up on the blade to skin small game animals, etc., and can also
make the blade a little easier to sharpen. Since the edge is not butted
right against the finger guard, this area can be a little easier to
reach with a sharpening stone. I've included my impression of the
finger choil in the field testing below.

Choking up on the Pro Knife using the finger choil

Whistle

The Pro Knife includes a more robust whistle than the previous version.

Comparison of the Pro version whistle (right) next to the original Ultimate Knife whistle (left):

The Sheath

The Pro Knife's sheath has been completely redesigned with a new black
and orange color scheme, and includes several notable improvements, such
as a longer firesteel that sits in an upright slot, a carbide pull
through sharpener, and a new pocket at the top of the sheath for
the Priorities of Survival Pocket Guide.

The Pro Knife firesteel (left) next to the original Ultimate Knife firesteel (right)

New sheath pocket:

The sheath pocket can also be used to stash an emergency fishing kit or other compact survival goodies if desired:

The back of the Pro Sheath (left) next to the original Ultimate Sheath
(right). The Pro Sheath does away with both the Emergency Signals guide
and the extra loops that allow for sideways carry.

The Carbide pull-through sharpener:

The sharpener can be removed by unscrewing two small T6 Torx screws (shown
in the orange area) so that it can be switched for right or left handed
operation, or removed for replacement:

Comparison of the Pro sharpener (left) next to the original Ultimate Knife's diamond sharpener (right):

The Pro Knife locks into the sheath in much the same way as the original
Ultimate Knife, but does away with the plastic sheath-lock that was on
the older version:

The sheath's new black and orange colors make it easy to find if dropped into water or snow:

The sheath also has a drain hole at the bottom to allow water to escape:

FIELD TESTING

To field test the Pro Knife, I wanted to focus mainly on the performance
of the upgraded features. In our review of the original Ultimate Knife
last year, I already covered many of the unchanged features, such as
lashing the knife to a pole, striking the firesteel to start a fire,
opening a can, and general wood carving.

In particular I wanted to test 1) the ability of the 9Cr19MoV Stainless to take a sharp edge 2) the edge retention of the new steel 3) the built-in Carbide sharpener to determine its effectiveness, and also to see how easy the steel is to re-sharpen 4) the finger choil to see how it might affect batoning and featherstick-making 5) the feel of the knife with the new full tang construction while using it out in the field, and 6) the improved survival whistle.

Survival Whistle

I had a friend stand 75 feet away with his back towards me. I then blew the whistles from both the Pro Knife and the original Ultimate Knife, and asked him which whistle was louder. I repeated this test three times. According to my friend, the new Pro Knife whistle was just barely louder, with a slightly deeper tone to it.

Testing the 9Cr19MoV Stainless, Sharpener, and Finger Choil

In order to test the new, upgraded steel on the Pro Knife, I did some
chopping on a small, dead Aspen tree, batoned and carved out a pitchwood
tinder knot, and made a featherstick. After these tasks were finished, I
checked the edge to see how well it held up, then used the Carbide
sheath sharpener to re-sharpen the edge, taking note of how easy it was
to perform this task.

Chopping

Below is a small dead, Aspen tree that I chopped down with the Pro
Knife. I then bucked a piece out, simulating a wilderness survival skill
to find dry wood to make fire under wet conditions. The extra weight of
the Pro Knife gave it an edge over the original Ultimate Knife when
performing this task.

(click to enlarge)

Batoning and carving out a pitchwood knot for fire tinder

To test the Pro Knife's ability to handle stress, as well as to see
if having a finger choil would reduce the Pro Knife's ability to baton
wood, I grabbed a Ponderosa Pine pitchwood knot that I cut last year and
batoned and carved it into a pitchwood tinder stick.

Even though this is just a piece of pine, the wood near the base on
these old growth mountain pine knots is stronger than oak, and often
very twisted. I've cut hundreds of them, and have seen them chip and
roll edges on heavy knives and machetes, so it was no easy feat for the
Pro Knife.

Success! The Pro Knife did an excellent job of reducing this piece into a
beautiful chunk of flammable pitchwood (also known as fatwood), with no
degradation of the edge noted.

Finger Choil

Having the finger choil didn't seem to affect the knife's ability to baton:

Featherstick Making

The Pro Knife, like its predecessor, is very adept at making
feathersticks. The finger choil didn't seem to make that much of a
difference in either a positive or a negative way with this task.

Steel Performance/Using the Built-In Sharpener

So how did the edge hold up? -- Leaps and bounds ahead of the
original Ultimate Knife's edge. The 9Cr19MoV Stainless has edge-holding
that's at least as good as 440C with a good heat treatment, and possibly
better. I was very impressed by its performance and was honestly a bit
surprised, as I didn't expect a Chinese stainless to hold an edge this
well.

The ability to hold an edge is a great quality, but not if comes at
the price of being hard to sharpen. I was very curious to see
how difficult this steel would be to re-sharpen, and also how
effectively the built-in Carbide sharpener would perform.

After trying the sharpener in several different positions, I found that holding the sheath as shown in the photos below was the easiest way to pull the
knife through to sharpen it. Others may have different results
of course, but this was the easiest way for me.

After just 3-4 pulls on the sharpener, the Pro Knife was actually sharp enough to shave with - very impressive. In fact, I was able to make this knife sharper with just the sheath sharpener, than I ever could make the original Ultimate Knife - even when I used my best ceramic sharpening stones and a leather strop. So all in all, the 9Cr19MoV turned out to be an excellent knife steel.

Conclusion

So
will fans of the original Ultimate Knife find the new Pro version to be
a worthy upgrade? Despite the $30.00 price increase -- definitely yes,
in my opinion.

The
steel is a significant improvement in all aspects, including
edge-holding, ease of sharpening, and the ability to take a sharper edge
than the original version.

The
visible full tang construction and beefier hammer pommel also mean
greater overall strength -- a critical feature in a survival knife. This increased strength inspires confidence that the Ultimate Pro can
be depended upon in a critical situation.

The
revised sheath, which includes a new, easier to use Carbide sharpener,
along with a firesteel placed in an upright position, is also an
improvement.

I
like the slightly smaller, sleeker design of the sheath, including the
attractive and easy to find contrasting orange and black color. The same
goes for the knife, as the new black/orange scheme is more attractive
than the original and gives the knife a slightly more serious
appearance.

Negatives?
Yes -- the whistle is only marginally improved. I'm not sure why a more
robust whistle wasn't added, as this could have been a golden
opportunity for Gerber to improve upon this useful survival feature. The
whistle is still effective, but could be better.

Another
issue is the velcro retaining strap on the sheath. The simple addition
of a heavy duty button snap ala' Gerber's LMF II sheath would have made
the strap more reliable, and given it a feeling of higher quality.

Also,
as I mentioned in our review of the original Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife
last year, I'm still not a fan of the extra large "BG" logo on the
handle, and was hoping this might be toned down a bit in the Pro
version. I'm still hoping that Gerber will come out with a less
conspicuous, American-made version of this knife, say something along
the lines of a fine-edged LMF II, but with upgraded 154CM or S30V Steel.
That would be a very attractive proposition, and one that I'd certainly
be interested in.

Despite
these criticisms, I think this is a much improved version of Gerber's
best selling knife, and one that fans of the original version will
certainly enjoy. In fact, this might even be a knife that critics, who
panned the original version, might finally consider a serious,
field-worthy survival blade.

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)